Queen of The Hill (Knight Games) (28 page)

I arrived at Rick’s just after two a.m., an early night by our usual standards. When he opened the door for me, one look told me it hadn’t been a good night. His face was gaunt. His skin pale.

“Your hands are shaking,” I said.

He didn’t exactly greet me, just opened the door a little wider.

The remnants of his dinner, what looked like rabbit stew, still sat in a bowl on his counter, cold. I wondered where he got the rabbit. A shotgun leaned against the corner. Maybe he’d killed it himself.

“Everything tasted rancid,” he said. “I cannot eat. I cannot sleep.”

I dumped the stew in the garbage and washed out the bowl. “I’ve tried to explain to you, Enrique, this isn’t what your body needs anymore. You need—”

“Blood.” His voice cracked. The thought sickened him.

“Or sex,” I said hopefully.

He dug his fingers into his dark waves. “Blood,” he said definitively.

I extended my wrist.

He shook his head.

Defeated, I retrieved a wineglass from the cupboard and drew Nightshade. My blood filled the glass. I tried not to think about how much I needed his blood. Now was not the time. He wasn’t ready.

I handed him the glass.

Rick closed his eyes and took a sip. Almost immediately his color returned. He drained the last drop.

“It will get easier,” I said. “Come. Sit with me.”

He left the glass on the table and joined me on the sofa. After some time, I was able to coax him into my arms. With his head on my fully clothed chest, I stroked his hair until he fell asleep, and only then planted a kiss on his temple.

Life is funny. What we think is important, isn’t. Things that seem in our control, aren’t. And in the end, the one thing that matters is love. I planned to win Rick’s love again. I planned to teach him about us and our long history. And then I planned to marry him. Because if there was one thing I’d proven to myself, it was this:

Rick was worth it.

Genevieve Jack grew up in a suburb of Chicago and attended a high school rumored to be haunted. She loves old cemeteries and enjoys a good ghost tour. Genevieve specializes in original, cross-genre stories with surprising twists. She lives in central Illinois with her husband, two children, and a Brittany named Riptide who holds down her feet while she writes.

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Queen of the Hill would not have been possible without the help of a few individuals who gave of their time and experience.

To my husband, A, thank you for your support and encouragement. I appreciate all those times you handled the real world while I was building a fantasy one.

To my friend MM, thanks for providing technical support.

Special thanks to Laurie Bradach, RT Wolfe, and Brenda Rothert for using their sharp eyes and ears to better an early draft of the manuscript.

Finally, huge hugs to Hollie Westring, who came on as editor with the latest editions of the series.